The private sector has been urged to work closely with government institutions to battle the rising cases of drug abuse in the country.

The call was made during celebrations to mark the International day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Kirehe district on Thursday. Kirehe has the highest number of drug abusers in the country.

Many youth have had their dreams cut short, lives have been lost and careers shattered as a result of drug abuse. Drug abuse is a serious threat to society and national development in general.  The increasing cases of drug abuse are a reminder that more strategies should be devised to address the problem.

Statistics from the Ministry of Health show that in 2014 Ndera hospital handled over 440 patients were diagnosed with illness related to drug abuse, and last year the number surged to 2800 patients.

Although several measures have been put in place to address the problem of drug abuse, more efforts are needed to check the increasing cases of drug abuse, especially among the youth.

Although sensitisation campaigns on the effects of drug abuse are regularly conducted, more stringent measures are needed to make it difficult for the drug market to thrive in the country.

Law enforcers should make it very hard for smugglers to bring drugs into the country.

On top of these efforts, as a country we also need to rethink our parenting strategies. Many children are introduced to drugs largely because their parents abscond from their role to ensure that they raise responsible children.

Parents should closely follow up their children at home and in school to ensure that learners are not introduced to drugs since they are a soft target for dealers in drugs. Schools should also play their role in ensuring that schools are not turned into dens of drug abuse.